Protective batting helmet with reinforced bill

ABSTRACT

A protective batting helmet with a reinforced bill includes a rigid shell for protecting the head of a wearer, a reinforced bill extending from the rigid shell, and a lower face guard extending across the lower portion of the rigid shell. The non-deflectable, reinforced bill and lower face guard provide protection to a wearer&#39;s face without impeding their vision.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to protective sports equipment, and moreparticularly to protective helmets used in baseball and softball.Specifically, the present invention relates to protective battinghelmets.

2. Description of Related Art

Protective helmets are commonly used in various sports to provideprotection to a player's head and face. In baseball, for example,players commonly wear batting helmets to provide protection against wildpitches or foul balls.

In order to provide protection to the face and head of the wearer,batting helmets often include a hard shell portion to cover the head ofthe wearer, with a face guard affixed to the hard shell portion toprotect the face of the wearer. Typically, the face guard is configuredas a wire cage, and is immovably affixed to the front and sides of thehelmet. Rigid bars of the cage extend generally horizontally across thefront of the helmet to protect the forehead, mouth, and nose of thewearer, with generally vertical bars extending upwardly on either sideof the wearer's eyes to protect the eyes and forehead of the wearer. Thevertical bars of conventional face cages typically attach to an uppercross bar that extends across the front of the helmet in the area of awearer's forehead. In such a configuration, the vertical bars may extendinto the wearer's field of vision. The face cage thus provides a rigidbarrier to stray balls, with the spacing between bars on the wire facecage such that stray balls may not enter the cage and strike theplayer's head or face.

While conventional face cage configurations provide adequate protectionto the wearer, the configuration can impede the wearer's vision.Compared to a helmet without a face cage, the view through a face cageis obstructed with the horizontal and vertical protective bars being animpediment to a wearer's upward, downward, and peripheral vision. In anydirection through the face cage, the line-of-sight of the wearerincludes some sort of obstruction.

Some protective face cage designs have reduced the obstruction to thewearer's vision by moving the vertical cross bars as far as practical tothe sides of the helmet. However, even when looking straight-aheadthrough the defined viewing area of a face cage having thatconfiguration, the wearer may still detect the vertical cross bars intheir direct or peripheral vision. Rather than have their visionimpaired, many players simply forgo the use of a face cage.

Thus, it can be seen that there remains a need in the art for aprotective batting helmet having a protective face cage that providesprotection to a wearer's head and face without impeding their vision.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a protective batting helmet havinga reinforced bill. The non-deflectable, reinforced bill protects theforehead and upper face area of the wearer. A lower face guard extendsacross the lower portion of the helmet to protect the mouth, chin, andlower face area of the wearer. No vertical bars extend or connectbetween the lower face guard and the reinforced bill, thus there is noobstruction or impediment to a wearer's view through the viewing areabetween the bill and the face guard. Used in combination, the helmet andlower face guard provides complete protection to the head and face ofthe wearer, without impeding the wearer's field of vision.

The protruding bill of the helmet includes reinforcing members attachedto the top and bottom surfaces of the bill. The reinforcing members aremade of a non-deflectable material and act to provide reinforcement tothe bill, preventing the bill from bending or deflecting when struck bya stray ball. The lower face guard includes horizontal cross membersextending generally horizontally across the lower front portion of thehelmet, in the area of the wearer's mouth and nose. The face guard islikewise made from a non-deflectable, rigid material. The space definedbetween the reinforced bill of the helmet and the uppermost portion ofthe face guard provides an unobstructed viewing area through which awearer has an unimpeded view.

In use in conjunction with the lower face guard, the reinforced bill ofthe helmet acts as an “upper crossbar” to protect the forehead and eyesof the wearer. However, unlike conventional face guard configurations,there are no vertical members extending between the lower face guard andthe reinforced bill. Thus, there are no impediments in the wearer'sline-of sight or peripheral vision.

In an exemplary embodiment, the helmet comprises a rigid shell forprotecting the head of the wearer, with a bill extending outwardly fromthe shell in the area of a wearer's forehead. Reinforcing members areattached to the upper and lower surfaces of the bill to strengthen thebill such that it is not deflectable under impact from a stray ball. Alower face guard, formed as a wire cage having a plurality of horizontalmembers, extends across the front opening of the rigid shell to protectthe chin, mouth, and nose of the wearer. The lower face guard isattached to the rigid shell at opposite sides of the shell, in the areaof the wearer's ears. An unobstructed viewing area is thus definedbetween the reinforced bill of the rigid shell and the uppermosthorizontal member of the lower face guard. With no vertical membersextending between the lower face guard and the reinforced bill, thewearer's line of sight through the viewing area is completely unimpededview.

In another aspect of the invention, a suspension and adjustmentmechanism affixed within the inner cavity of the rigid shell comprises astrap extending circumferentially around the inner cavity, with anadjustment knob extending though the back portion of the rigid shell tothe strap. Turning the knob tightens the strap against the wearer'shead, allowing the helmet to fit more securely to the head of a wearer.

Additional aspects of the invention, together with the advantages andnovel features appurtenant thereto, will be set forth in part in thedescription that follows, and in part will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learnedfrom the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of theinvention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalitiesand combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in greater detail in thefollowing detailed description of the invention with reference to theaccompanying drawings that form a part hereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a protective batting helmet with areinforced bill in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the helmet of FIG. 1, showing separatereinforcing elements attached to the bill.

FIG. 3 is a left-side elevational view of the helmet of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the helmet of FIG. 1, showing anadjustment knob at the rear of the helmet.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the helmet of FIG. 1, with theface guard removed to show an interior suspension and adjustmentmechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

A protective batting helmet having a reinforced bill in accordance withan exemplary embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIGS. 1through 5. While the invention will be described in detail hereinbelowwith reference to this exemplary embodiment, it should be understoodthat the invention is not limited to the specific configuration shown inthese embodiments. Rather, one skilled in the art will appreciate that avariety of configurations may be implemented in accordance with thepresent invention.

Looking first to FIG. 1, a protective batting helmet with a reinforcedbill in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present inventionis depicted generally by the numeral 10. Batting helmet 10 includes arigid shell 12 having a protruding bill 14, with an attached lower faceguard 16. Reinforcing members 18 a, 18 b attached to the upper and lowersurfaces 20 a, 20 b, respectively, of bill 14 strengthen the bill suchthat that it cannot deflect under impact from stray balls and the like.An unobstructed viewing area 22 is defined between reinforced bill 14and the uppermost portion of lower face guard 16.

Rigid Shell

Looking to FIGS. 1-3, rigid shell 12 includes a crown 26, a back 28, afront 30, a left side 32, and a right side 34, defining a front opening36 corresponding to the area of the wearer's face, and defining a bottomopening 38 for placing the shell over a wearer's head. The crown, front,back, and sides further define an inner cavity 40 that generallyconforms to the shape of a wearer's head. Left and right ear covers 42a, 42 b extend downwardly from the left and right sides 32, 34,respectively, of rigid shell 12 to cover the wearer's left and rightears, respectively. Left and right ear openings 44 a, 44 b through leftand right ear covers 42 a, 42 b, respectively, provide ventilation tothe wearer and allow the wearer to hear while wearing the battinghelmet. Bill 14 extends outwardly from front portion 30 of rigid shell12 in the area generally corresponding to a wearer's forehead. Bill 14is oriented to extend slightly upwardly from horizontal in normalwearing position, with the upper surface 20 a of bill 14 shaped slightlyconvex to divert precipitation to the sides of the helmet. Bill 14extends outwardly from front portion 30 to protect a wearer's eyes fromsunlight and precipitation, without unduly limiting the wearer's upwardview.

Preferably, rigid shell 12 is constructed from any rigid, impactresistant material. Most preferably, rigid shell 12 is constructed of alightweight, rigid plastic material such as Acrylonitrile ButadieneStyrene (ABS) or polycarbonate. Rigid shell 12 is preferably formed as aunitary piece, including bill 14, using known processes such as moldingor casting. Rigid shell 12 may be custom manufactured to accommodatehead sizes from extra small (6⅜) to extra large (7½), or may bemanufactured to an intermediate or one-size-fits-all configuration withvarious sizes of removable pads attached to the rigid shell 12 along theinner cavity to fit the batting helmet to a particular wearer. Anyconfiguration of rigid shell 12 may include soft pads or padding atlocations along inner cavity 40 to provide a snug, comfortable fit tothe wearer's head as is known in the art.

Reinforcing Members

As best seen in FIG. 2, reinforcing members 18 a, 18 b attach to theupper and lower surfaces 20 a, 20 b, respectively of bill 14. Arc-shapedreinforcing members 18 a, 18 b are configured to conform to the contourof the upper and lower surfaces, respectively. Recessed areas 48 a, 48 bformed in the upper and lower surfaces of bill 14 are configured toreceive the respective reinforcing member 18 a, 18 b such that thereinforcing members lie substantially flush with the remaining surfacesof the bill. Preferably, the recessed areas are formed in the bill ofthe helmet using an insert molding process, although any method known inthe art may be used. Apertures 50 through reinforcing members 18 a, 18 ballow the reinforcing members to be attached to bill 14 using fasteners52. Any fastener known in the art is suitable for this purpose, andrivets are particularly suited for this purpose.

The reinforced bill needs to have sufficient strength and stiffness toprevent the bill from deflecting, bending or breaking under the force ofa ball. Reinforcing members 18 a, 18 b are preferably made from anon-deflectable material having sufficient stiffness to provide thenecessary strength to the bill, such as metal. Most preferably, they aremade from an aluminum alloy, such as 7000 series aluminum allow likeASTM alloy 70-75. Fasteners 52 a, 52 b are preferably rivets or T-nutfasteners, although other fasteners or adhesives known in the art may beused to affix the reinforcing members to the bill. With reinforcingmembers 18 a, 18 b affixed to bill 14, the bill is prevented fromdeflecting under the force of a stray ball. Unlike conventional,non-reinforced bills, which deflect or even break-away under impact, thereinforced bill of the present invention withstands the impact of astray ball without breaking or deflecting. Thus, the reinforced bill ofthe present invention protects the upper face and forehead of thewearer.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, reinforcing members 18 a, 18 b are preferablythin, contoured strips configured to fit flush within the recessed areas48 a, 48 b on bill 14. Most preferably, they are approximately 1/16inches thick. Reinforcing members 18 a, 18 b are one means forreinforcing bill 14. Variations and different configurations ofreinforcing members and means for reinforcing bill 14 will be apparentto those skilled in the art. For example, the reinforcing members may bethicker strips that do not lie flush with the helmet, or may be othershapes, sizes, or configurations attached at various points along oraround the bill. Numerous configurations of reinforcing members havingsimilar tensile strength and stiffness properties to those of thereinforcing members in the exemplary embodiment may be employed withoutdeviating from the present invention.

While the exemplary embodiment shown depicts two reinforcing members asseparate components attached to the upper and lower surfaces of bill 14,variations of this configuration will be apparent to one skilled in theart. For example, a single reinforcing member attached to either theupper or lower surface of bill 14 may be used to provide reinforcementto the bill. Or, a single reinforcing member configured to fit over thefront edge of bill 14 may be used. Alternatively, a single reinforcingmember may be integrally formed or molded within the bill, or thereinforcing fibers such as fiberglass or composite fibers may beincorporated within the bill to provide the sufficient strength.Similarly, while the reinforcing members are shown as being locatedtowards the front of the bill, members that wrap around towards the rearof bill 14, or that extend along the bill to the front portion 30 ofrigid shell 12 may also be employed. Likewise, the entire bill may beconstructed from a non-deflectable material to act as a unitaryreinforcing member. Other variations of reinforcing the bill usingnon-deflectable material will be apparent to those skilled in the art,and are anticipated by, and within the scope of, the present invention.

Lower Face Guard

Looking still to FIGS. 1-3, lower face guard 16 is a wire cage extendingacross the lower front opening 36 of rigid shell 12. Lower face guard 16includes first, second, and third horizontal bars 54, 56, 58, extendinggenerally horizontally in an outward arc from the left side of rigidshell 12, across front opening 36, to the right side of rigid shell 12.First horizontal bar 54 extends across front opening 36 in the areacorresponding generally to the lower nose of the wearer. Second andthird horizontal bars 56, 58 extend across front opening 36 in the areacorresponding generally to the mouth and chin of the wearer.

Arched front bars 60, 62, 64 extend upwardly from third horizontal bar58, and are centered across front opening 36 in the area of the wearer'schin, mouth, and nose. First front bar 60 extends across farthest,joining at opposite ends to third horizontal bar 58 just forward of leftand right ear covers 42 a, 42 b. The uppermost portion 61 of first frontbar 60 forms the highest portion of face guard 16, extending above firsthorizontal bar 54 in the area of the wearer's nose. Second front bar 62extends inboard of first front bar 60, joining at opposite ends to thirdhorizontal bar 58 and extending upward at its center to join the centerportion of first front bar 60. Third front bar 64 joins at opposite endsto third horizontal bar 58, protruding slightly upward from thirdhorizontal bar 58 in the area of the wearer's chin and mouth.

Left and right rear vertical struts 66 a, 66 b, located at the forwardportion of left and right ear covers 42 a, 42 b respectively, join theends of first, second, and third horizontal bars 54, 56, 58 at oppositesides of rigid shell 12. Fasteners 68 a, 68 b securely attach face guard16 to rigid shell 12 at opposite sides of the helmet. Thus, horizontalbars 54, 56, 58, front bars 60, 62, 64, and vertical struts 66 a, 66 bform a unitary cage extending in an arc shape across front opening 36 ofrigid shell 12 to form a barrier to protect a wearer's lower face fromstray balls.

Horizontal bars 54, 56, 58, front bars 60, 62, 64, and vertical struts68 a, 68 b of face guard 16 are preferably constructed from a rigidtubular metal such as steel, aluminum, or titanium, having a diameter ofapproximately 3/16 inches. Most preferably, face guard 16 is constructedfrom solid tubular steel having a diameter of 4.8 millimeters. Thehorizontal bars, front bars, and vertical struts may be joined oraffixed to each other using welding, soldering, gluing, or any othermanner of adhesion know in the art. Other materials and configurationsfor face guard 16 will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and arewithin the scope of the present invention. For example, hollow tubularmetal may be used to construct face guard 16, or composite or polymericmaterials may be used. In addition, the horizontal bars, front bars, andvertical struts of face guard 16 may be coated with a plastic or rubbercoating to protect the metal members from the elements, and to improvethe appearance of the face guard.

With face guard 16 attached to rigid shell 12 as described, reinforcedbill 14 and face guard 16 provide combined protection to the entire faceof the wearer. The uppermost portion 61 of front bar 60 and the lowersurface 20 b of bill 14 define an unobstructed viewing area 22 in thearea of the wearer's eyes, with the lower surface 20 b bounding theupper side of unobstructed viewing area 22 and the uppermost portion 61of front bar 60 bounding the lower side. The maximum vertical spacingbetween uppermost portion 61 of front bar 60 and lower surface 20 b ofbill 14 is preferably less than the diameter of a regulation softball,or approximately 3.5 inches, or a regulation baseball, or approximately2.5 inches. Most preferably, the maximum vertical spacing betweenuppermost portion 61 of front bar 60 and lower surface 20 b of bill 14is approximately 1.5 inches to provide protection from baseballs whilestill providing a large unobstructed viewing area 22. Likewise, themaximum vertical spacing between first horizontal bar 54 and thejunction of bill 14 with rigid shell 12 is preferably less than thediameter of a regulation softball, or approximately 3.5 inches, or aregulation baseball, or approximately 2.5 inches. Most preferably, themaximum vertical spacing between first horizontal bar 54 and thejunction of bill 14 with rigid shell 12 is approximately 1.5 inches.Other spacing configurations appropriate for use with other sports, suchas softball, will be apparent to those skilled in the art and arecontemplated by the present invention.

In conjunction, reinforced bill 14 and face guard 16 provide protectionto the face of a batter in compliance with the performance requirementsset forth in section 5.3 of the National Operation Committee onStandards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) document (ND)024-03m03,revised April 2003. The rigid, non-deflectable, reinforced bill 14 actsas an “upper bar” to protect the forehead and upper face of the wearer,while face guard 16 provides protection to the lower portion of thewearer's face. In combination, the reinforced bill and face guardprovide protection for the wearer' entire face in compliance with theNOCSAE standard.

As described herein, variations to the configurations shown in theexemplary embodiment may be employed without deviating from the presentinvention so long as the helmet and face guard comply with the statedNOCSAE standard.

Suspension and Adjustment Mechanism

Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a suspension and adjustment mechanism 70attached to rigid shell 12 within inner cavity 40 allows the helmet tobe fitted more securely to the head of a wearer. Suspension andadjustment mechanism 70 comprises a support strap 72 extending aroundthe sides and rear portion of rigid shell 12 in inner cavity 40. Anadjustment strap 74 attached to the inner sides of rigid shell 12extends into an adjustment mechanism 76, located on the inner side ofthe back portion 28 of rigid shell 12. An adjustment knob 78 located onthe outer rear of rigid shell 12 extends through back portion 28 andinto adjustment mechanism 76. Turning knob 78 operates a ratchetmechanism within adjustment mechanism 76 to tighten or loosen adjustmentstrap 74 against the back of a wearer's head, adjusting the fit of thehelmet against the wearer's head. Thus, when the helmet is worn,suspension and adjustment mechanism 70 is used to securely affix thehelmet to the head of the wearer. Suspension and adjustment mechanism 70is one means for more securely fitting the helmet to the head of awearer, and may be any type of mechanism known in the art, such as thoseused with hardhats and the like. Other known mechanisms and means forsecuring hats or helmets may be also be used with deviating from thepresent invention.

Use

In use, reinforcing members 18 a, 18 b are secured to bill 14 usingfasteners 52 a, 52 b to provide a rigid, non-deflectable bill. Lowerface guard 16 is attached at opposite sides of rigid shell 12 usingfasteners 68 a, 68 b. Thus attached, rigid shell 12, reinforced bill 14,and lower face guard 16 form a rigid, unitary protective batting helmet,providing protection to the wearer in compliance with theabove-referenced NOCSAE standard. The unobstructed viewing area 22defined between reinforced bill 14 and lower face guard 16 allows awearer an unimpeded view through the batting helmet, while stillproviding protection. Adjustment mechanism 70 further allows theprotective batting helmet to be more securely fitted to the head of thewearer, preventing the helmet from shifting or falling off undermovement.

In an alternative use, the protective batting helmet may be used withoutlower face guard 16, as shown in FIG. 5. In this configuration,reinforced bill 14 provides a rigid, non-deflectable barrier to strayballs in the area of the wearer's forehead and eyes. Unlike conventionalbatting helmets having bills that will deflect or break on impact from astray ball, the reinforced bill of the batting helmet of the presentinvention will withstand a strike from a stray ball, protecting the eyesand forehead area of the wearer.

As can be seen, the invention described herein provides a protectivebatting helmet and face guard that provides complete protection to theface and head of a wearer, while simultaneously providing a completelyunobstructed viewing area. Of course, other embodiments orconfigurations will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and arecontemplated by and within the scope of the present invention.

The term “substantially” or “approximately” as used herein may beapplied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissiblyvary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it isrelated. For example, the members of the lower face guard are describedas being most preferably approximately 4.8 millimeters in diameter, butmay permissibly vary from that diameter if the variance does notmaterially alter the capability of the invention.

While the present invention has been described and illustratedhereinabove with reference to various exemplary embodiments, it shouldbe understood that various modifications could be made to theseembodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the exemplaryembodiments described and illustrated hereinabove, except insofar assuch limitations are included in the following claims.

1. A protective batting helmet comprising: a rigid shell having crown,front, back, left and right portions shaped to protect the respectivecrown, front, back, left and right portions of a wearer's head, saidshell defining a bottom opening and an internal cavity for receivingsaid wearer's head; a reinforced bill extending outwardly from saidfront of said shell in an area corresponding to said wearer's forehead,said bill having sufficient strength and stiffness to prevent the billfrom deflecting under the force of a ball; and a face guard affixed tosaid shell such that an uppermost portion of said face guard and abottom edge of said bill define an unobstructed viewing area.
 2. Thebatting helmet of claim 1, wherein said reinforced bill comprises areinforcing member configured to conform to a contour of said bill. 3.The batting helmet of claim 2, wherein said bill comprises a recessedarea configured to receive said reinforcing member.
 4. The battinghelmet of claim 2, wherein said reinforcing member comprises anon-deflectable material.
 5. The batting helmet of claim 4, wherein saidreinforcing component comprises metal.
 6. The batting helmet of claim 5,wherein said reinforcing component comprises aluminum alloy.
 7. Thebatting helmet of claim 2, wherein said reinforcing member comprises anupper component affixed to said upper surface of said bill and a lowercomponent affixed to said lower surface of said bill.
 8. The battinghelmet of claim 7, wherein said bill comprises recesses in said upperand lower surfaces configured to receive said upper and lowercomponents, respectively.
 9. The batting helmet of claim 1, furthercomprising: a suspension system attached within said inner cavity, saidsuspension system comprising a strap extending around a rear portion ofsaid inner cavity in the area of a back portion of said wearer's head.10. The batting helmet of claim 9, wherein said suspension systemcomprises an adjustment mechanism operable to tighten said strap againsta wearer's head.
 11. The batting helmet of claim 10, wherein saidadjustment mechanism comprises a knob extending through said backportion of said rigid shell.
 12. The batting helmet of claim 1, whereina distance between said face guard and said bill is less than 2.5inches.
 13. The batting helmet of claim 12, wherein a distance betweensaid face guard and said bill is approximately 1.5 inches.
 14. Aprotective batting helmet comprising: a shell configured to protect thehead of a wearer; a bill extending outwardly from said shell; and areinforcing member attached to said bill to prevent deflection of thebill.
 15. The batting helmet of claim 14, wherein said reinforcingmember is configured to conform to a contour of said bill.
 16. Thebatting helmet of claim 15, wherein said bill comprises a recessed areaconfigured to receive said reinforcing component.
 17. The batting helmetof claim 16, wherein said reinforcing member comprises a non-deflectablematerial.
 18. The batting helmet of claim 14, wherein said reinforcingmember comprises an upper component affixed to said upper surface ofsaid bill and a lower component affixed to said lower surface of saidbill.
 19. The batting helmet of claim 18, wherein said bill comprisesrecesses in said upper and lower surfaces configured to receive saidupper and lower components, respectively.
 20. A protective battinghelmet comprising: a shell configured to protect the head of a wearer;and a reinforced bill extending outwardly from said shell, said billhaving an impact strength that is greater than an impact strength ofsaid rigid shell.
 21. The helmet of claim 20, further comprising a faceguard affixed to said shell.
 22. The helmet of claim 20, furthercomprising: means for securing said shell to the head of a wearer. 23.The helmet of claim 20, further comprising: means for reinforcing saidbill.